Roles (Tenant, Landlord, LHA)

Tenant's Role
When a family selects a housing unit, and LHA approves it and the lease, the family signs a lease with the landlord for at least one year. The tenant may be required to pay a security deposit to the landlord. After the first year the landlord may initiate a new lease or allow the tenant to remain in the unit on a month to month lease. When the family is settled in a new home, the family is expected to comply with the lease and the program requirements, pay their share of rent on time, maintain the unit in good condition and notify LHA of any changes in income or family composition.

Landlord's Role
The role of the landlord in the voucher program is to provide decent, safe and sanitary housing to a tenant at a reasonable rent. The dwelling unit must pass the program's housing standards and be maintained up to those standards as long as the owner receives housing assistance payments. In addition, the landlord is expected to provide the services agreed to as part of the lease signed with the tenant and the contract signed with LHA.

LHA's Role
LHA provides a family with the rental assistance that enables the family to seek out suitable housing and enters into a contract with the landlord to provide rental assistance payments on behalf of the family. If the family or the landlord fails to meet his/her obligations, LHA has the right to terminate assistance payments.